Operation Protective Edge: The spreading conflagration in the Middle East

On Tuesday, as Palestinian militants launched rockets and Israel resumed airstrikes, Egypt's proposal for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas collapsed. On Wednesday morning, AEI's Danielle Pletka hosted Elliott Abrams of the Council on Foreign Relations and Ghaith al Omari of the American Task Force on Palestine for a conversation on the recent escalation of conflict in Israel and the Gaza Strip.

Al Omari emphasized that Hamas has thus far miscalculated its strategy but is still attempting to construct a narrative of victory. The tenuousness of that narrative influenced Hamas's decision to turn down the Egyptian ceasefire proposal, he said. Al Omari pointed out that Hamas leaders have also not sufficiently mobilized the Arab world, which limits their options and reduces their leverage.

Abrams argued that over the course of this war, nothing has changed to make a comprehensive peace agreement possible. In the next few weeks, US Secretary of State John Kerry and the Obama administration must think more pragmatically to improve the position of the Palestinian National Authority in Gaza. Al Omari added that it would be beneficial for the US to tackle issues of poor governance and work to institution build in Gaza.--Alex Della Rocchetta